Theorizing from the Margins

Abstract:Folklorists study folk and lore on the margins of society yet have not adequately accounted for how many of our own scholars are marginalized by existing power structures. Some of these power structures are unique to academia—without enough full-time work, not everyone can afford to work in the field; the tenure system grants limited access to resources, academic freedom of speech, and social capital—while others are exacerbated by US policies such as those tying health care to (full-time) employment. The aim of this article is to document, through the use of recent personal narrative as well as scholarship, the issues marginalized folklorists face within the discipline, and advocate for greater inclusive policies so that our discipline does not suffer from a lack of voices and perspectives, tuning in only to voices that are institutionalized enough to be broadcast: a fate that ironically seems to be the antithesis of our field's centuries-long focus on subjects on the margins.